Colossus (Six Flags Magic Mountain)
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| Manufacturer | International Amusement Devices | ||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Wooden - Twin | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hourly capacity | 2600 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Propulsion | Chain lift hill | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 125 feet | ||||||||||||||||||
| Drop | 115 feet | ||||||||||||||||||
| Top speed | 62 mph | ||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 4325 feet | ||||||||||||||||||
| Inversions | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2:30 | ||||||||||||||||||
| G-Force | 3.2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Rolling stock | |||||||||||||||||||
| Manufacturer | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (1978-1987) Morgan (1988-2014) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Riders per train | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||
Colossus was a twin wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, USA. It opened in 1978 as the tallest roller coaster in the world, eight days after Gemini at Cedar Point, which was 0.3 feet taller than Colossus. Colossus was built by International Amusement Devices and was modified several times throughout its history.
History
Colossus opened on June 29, 1978.
The ride suffered from extensive downtime and was closed in late May 1979. Coinciding with Six Flags' purchase of the park in June, the roller coaster was re-profiled, the trains were replaced with new rolling stock from Philadelphia Toboggan Company and the brake system among other mechanical components were replaced. The ride was reconstructed by Frontier Construction, with both Don Rosser and Bill Cobb's companies involved in design and engineering work. It reopened on December 22, 1979.[1][2]
In 1988, the PTC trains were replaced with rolling stock from Morgan. In 1991, the two camelback hills beside the parking lot were replaced with a flat brake run, but the outline of the hills could still be seen underneath the brakes. This allowed a higher theoretical capacity.
Prior to its closure in 2014, Colossus used Psyclone's trains to run backward for the Fright Fest events.[3]
Colossus closed on August 16, 2014 after a 36-hour continuous riding event.[4] Less than two weeks after the ride closed, Six Flags announced that Colossus would reopen in 2015 as Twisted Colossus following a renovation by Rocky Mountain Construction. Much of Colossus' supports were used in the construction of Twisted Colossus, a steel hybrid roller coaster from Rocky Mountain Construction.
On September 8, 2014, a section of Colossus caught fire during construction of Twisted Colossus.
Incident
A 20-year-old woman fell to her death from the ride on December 26, 1978. The park stated that the fatality was not linked to a malfunction.[5]
Design
| Elements |
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Color scheme
Trains
6 trains with 6 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows, for a total of 24 riders per train.
Images
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The transfer track -
The entrance to Colossus in 2011 -
The entrance in 2014 following Colossus' closure -
Colossus in 1995 -
Colossus while running backwards
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_2011_01.jpg)
_2014_02.jpg)
_1995_01.jpg)
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References
- ↑ Colossus - Shane's Amusement Attic
- ↑ "Huge Roller Coaster Opens for Festivities". The Daily Herald. 1979-12-26. p. 27. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
- ↑ "13 Historical Artifacts of Six Flags Magic Mountain Still at the Park Today". Airtime Thrills.
- ↑ "Colossus' closing: Riders take on 36-hour marathon".
- ↑ Ramos, George (1978-12-27). "Woman Killed in Fall From Coaster". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
External links
- Colossus on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
- Colossus (Right track) on Coaster-Count.
- Colossus (Left track) on Coaster-Count.
- Colossus on sixflags.com.
| Tallest wooden roller coaster June 1978 - May 1981 | ||
| Preceded by Montaña Rusa (Juegos Mecánicos de Chapultepec) Screamin' Eagle |
Tallest wooden roller coaster June 1978 - May 1981 |
Succeeded by American Eagle |
| Tallest roller coaster drop June 1978 - April 1979 | ||
| Preceded by Screamin' Eagle |
Tallest roller coaster drop June 1978 - April 1979 |
Succeeded by The Beast |
| Fastest roller coaster June 1978 – April 1979 | ||
| Preceded by Cyclone |
Fastest roller coaster June 1978 – April 1979 |
Succeeded by Screamin' Eagle |